Monday, July 9, 2018

information
technology
Nike Popoola
The President, Nigeria
Computer Society, Prof.
Adesola Aderounmu, has
said that there is a need
for strategic action and
cumulative practices to
MONDAY, JULY 9, 2018
IT experts in search of new development strategies
ensure that the country is
competitive and prosperous
through the development of
information technology.
He said this in Lagos during
a press conference ahead of
the annual conference of the
NCS holding in Oyo State
this month.
“In line with our emphasis
on innovation, we will be
adopting various approaches
through this gathering of
the IT, academia, industry
and top leaders to address
challenges and highlight
opportunities on how to use
technology for sustainable
development,” he said.
While recognising the
strategic and transformation
role of the IT in the society,
Aderounmu said the
populace must be part of the
digital revolution of Nigeria
to unveil its immense
potential.
According to him, the
NCS has more than 20,000
members, and that it is the
umbrella body of all ICT
professionals in Nigeria.
For now, he added, the
NCS has eight major interest
groups.
Aderounmu said
the conference with the
theme, ’Digital inclusion,
opportunities, challenges
and strategies’, would focus
on important things such
as poverty eradication and
job creation in the rural
economy, internet and
broadband, e-agriculture,
e-education, digital gender
equality among others.
He said that the IT
experts would be focusing
53
on the development of tech
start-up, SME and youth
entrepreneurship, new
technology for economic
growth and diversification
and digital literacy, among
others.
He also said that top
government officials
and other dignitaries
and professionals from
the international IT
environment would attend
the conference.
The NCS, he added, would
play a major role in national
digital inclusion agreement
through the conference.
“The NCS organises the
conference annually to drive
change in the IT matters
through government
intervention, education and
strategic intervention,” he
said.
•L-R: Managing Director, SafeTrust Mortgage Bank, Akintayo Oloko; Chairman, Board of Directors, SafeTrust Mortgage
Bank, Ayodele Arogbo; Deputy Director, Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department, Central Bank of Nigeria,
Ekpo Bassey-Duke; and Director, SafeTrust Mortgage Bank, Yinka Odeleye, during the bank’s 2018 Annual General Meeting
in Lagos... recently. Photo: SafeTrust Mortgage Bank
‘Nigerians yet to tap benefits of digital economy’
Adelani Adepegba, Abuja
Information and
Communication
Technology experts have
submitted that many
Nigerians and African
countries are still lagging
behind in tapping the
benefits and efficiencies
of digital technologies to
drive innovation, create job
opportunities and achieve
economic growth.
They further stated that
Nigeria’s digital economy
was not growing due to
inadequate base transceiver
stations, insufficient fibre
networks, long period of
getting the right of way
approval, extended time
to market and investment
returns.
This was contained in
a communique issued at
the end of a conference on
Africa-China Cooperation in
Information Technology and
Digital Economy: Prospects
and Challenges, organised
by the Nigeria Institute
for International Affairs in
Abuja.
Despite the fact that the
ICT impacts on critical
sectors of the economy,
particularly governance,
commerce, banking,
agriculture and health, the
conference participants
noted that Nigeria had
continued to rank low in
the global ICT development
index, dropping from 137th
position in 2016 to 143rd
in 2017.
The conference stated
that information technology
and digital economy had
presented new opportunities
for all sectors of the economy,
adding that Africa could
learn from China’s success
in the area of global trade
and the roles played by firms
contributing to its GDP.
It asked Nigeria and
Africa to invest in the future
through communication
Huawei donates laptops, printers to schools
Okechukwu Nnodim,
Abuja
Huawei Nigeria has
donated laptops and
printers to schools in Lagos
State and the Federal
Capital Territory
According to the firm,
the donations were in
accordance with Huawei’s
social responsibility to
develop and contribute to
local communities.
It said in a statement
that it was donating the
technology devices in a bid
to enable smarter learning
among students in Nigerian
schools.
It said the donations
were made across seven
schools in Abuja and Lagos,
covering schools located in
Ajah, Mende, Ojodu, Kaura
District and Wuse.
The firm noted that
the donation marked the
continuation of Huawei’s
support for the ICT
development in Nigeria.
“Since 2013, Huawei
has trained thousands of
Nigerian youths in the ICT
under the ICT for Change
Programme in alliance with
the Federal Government
of Nigeria,” it said in the
statement issued in Abuja.
The firm stated that
recently, it refurbished and
set up ICT centres in Lagos
public schools in Victoria
Island, including Wahab
Folawiyo High School and
Lagos State Polytechnic,
Ikorodu, with computer
systems, projectors and
screens, internet access, and
solar-powered inverters.
The Managing Director,
Huawei Technologies
Nigeria Limited, Mr. Li
Beifang, was quoted as
saying, “Huawei sees
these donations as an
opportunity to support the
country’s initiative for the
improvement of digital
literacy among youths
and within the Nigerian
educational system.
“Our vision and mission
at Huawei is to bring digital
to every person, home and
organisation for a fullyconnected,
intelligent
world. Huawei is very
conversant with the role of
the ICT in education and
child development.
“Thus, these donations
will help develop the
necessary skills for the 21st
century, while preparing
these Nigerian children for
the actualisation of a smart
society.”
infrastructure that would
include government and
private sector.
The communique read,
“Nigeria should leverage
the ICT in its quest towards
attaining sustainable
development, especially in its
human development capital
and in all other sectors as
being propagated in the
diversification policy and
Economic Recovery and
Growth Plan of the current
administration.
“Infrastructural
connectivity is the foundation
of digital economy in
the world of information
technology, hence , the ICT
must be properly harnessed
optimally in order meet the
UN Agenda 2030.”
The conference further
recommended industry
collaboration in deploying
fibre networks, and routing
fibres along existing electrical
or other public utility ducts
to reduce network cost and
improve efficiency.
It noted that cybersecurity
is a critical driver of economic
development, adding that
Nigeria should take the lead
in entrenching the culture of
cybersecurity.
“African nations including
Nigeria should participate
in exchange of African
students with China and the
rest of the world to enable
them to acquire the cutting
edge technology; Nigerian
government should establish
specialised institutions for
the study, training and
research into the ICT-related
programmes and equipment,
especially software and
hardware,” the communique
stated.